Come What May
by Purple Shamrock 17
Summary: On the run from the First Order, Jyn Erso Skywalker and her daughter, Rey seek refuge in Lor San Tekka's village on Jakku. As she tries to get some sleep, Jyn wonders if she will ever see her husband again. (Luke/Jyn, SkyRogue, Rey Skywalker)
1. The Arrival

**Author** **'** **s Note: Hello and welcome to my first multi-chaptered Star Wars fic! This story evolved from a oneshot idea and will be about five or six chapters long. I already have a few written so I plan to update fairly regularly. And no matter what happens in the movies, I love the idea of Luke and Jyn together and them being Rey** **'** **s parents. So I will ship them no matter what!**

 **Now that that** **'** **s out of the way, enjoy and please review!**

Come What May

Chapter 1

The Arrival

Jyn Erso Skywalker hated silence. It made her feel tense, her entire body on alert for whatever danger could interrupt that silence. She'd been wary of long stretches of silence ever since the mission to steal the Death Star plans. However, in the years since, she had learned that there were many different types of silence. And not all of them were to be hated.

For example, there was the calming silence that had settled over the spaceship that she and her five-year-old daughter, Rey were aboard. It was a silence that she hoped would not be interrupted, if only so that Rey would not be awakened from where she slept in Jyn's lap. For lack of anything more to do, she lightly stroked Rey's hair as she glanced out of the window but saw nothing but a few pinpricks of stars against the black sky.

"How much farther, Chewie?" she called in a loud whisper.

From his place in the driver's seat, Chewbecca gave a soft growl.

"Good. I'll be glad to get off this ship."

For three long weeks, Jyn and Rey had been on the run, bouncing from planet to planet and never staying for more than a few days. It was the only way they could stay a step ahead of being captured by the First Order. Jyn needed to only hear rumors that the First Order was nearing their current planet before she and Rey would be off again, searching for a new refuge. While Jyn was used to travel and living something of a nomadic life, her primary concern was Rey. Between trying to explain in a way that she would understand why they had to keep moving, Jyn also had to answer Rey's constant questions about the whereabouts of her father.

During those weeks, Jyn had not heard a word from her husband, Luke Skywalker or any of the rest of their family. Such was her surprise when Chewbacca found them on the most recent planet they had settled on. He told them that Lor San Tekka had offered his village on the desert planet of Jakku as a refuge. Upon learning this, Jyn packed up the few possessions they had and left that very day with Chewbacca.

Now, here they were again, on another ship bound for a new planet. Jyn held a small hope that Jakku would be different. For once, she wouldn't have to make up some story about why she and her young daughter were traveling alone or answer prying questions about her husband or whether Rey even had a father. Yet Lor San Tekka was different. Not only was he the leader of the Church of the Force but Jyn had even met him briefly during one of his many visits to the Jedi Academy.

She was jolted out of her reverie when she felt the ship began to descend. Jyn tightened her hold on Rey as the ship shuddered to a stop. She watched as Chewbacca pulled a lever and the sound of mechanical whine sounded as a ramp was lowered.

When the whining stopped, Jyn got awkwardly to her feet and hefted Rey in her arms. She moved to grab the bag that contained the few possessions that they owned only to find Chewbacca holding it between his paws. He gave a series of guttural sounds and then slung the bag over Jyn's shoulder.

"Thank you, Chewie," she said. "Thank you for everything."

The Wookiee bared his teeth which Jyn took to be a smile and then he led the way to the ramp.

As Jyn shuffled down the ramp so that she didn't stumble and drop Rey, she saw by the light from the ship that two people were waiting for them. When she reached the bottom of the ramp, they stepped forward. While Jyn instantly recognized Lor San Tekka, the other was a strange woman. She had shoulder length light brown hair and looked to be in her late forties.

"Come, we must get out of the open," said Lor San Tekka hurriedly. Before Jyn had time to say any parting words to Chewbacca, she was being ushered away from the ship.

"Mommy?" a small voice mumbled in her ear.

"Yes, Rey, I've got you," Jyn soothed in a voice just above a whisper. "We're on the new planet now. You can sleep some more soon."

"I'm hungry," was the reply.

"You'll have plenty to eat when we get to my house," said the woman's kind voice from beside Jyn.

Soon, they came to what Jyn assumed to be Lor San Tekka's village although as it was now night on Jakku, she could only make out little more than a cluster of buildings. The woman jogged ahead of Jyn to a small one story structure near the center of the group. She opened the door, stepped just inside and held it open. Once everyone was inside, she quickly shut it behind them and locked it.

Then, there was a scratching noise and a match flared to life, the only source of light in the dark house. As the woman held the match to a nearby kerosene lamp, Lor San Tekka said, "Welcome to Jakku, Mrs. Skywalker. I wish I could have welcomed you to our humble village under better circumstances."

Suppressing the urge to tell him to use her first name, Jyn said, "Thank you for allowing us to come here. Have you heard from my family?" _Specifically my husband_ , she thought to herself.

The old man shook his head sadly. "No, not since I received word that Chewbacca would be bringing you and your daughter here."

Jyn nodded and said nothing. She shifted Rey in her arms, realizing just then how heavy she was.

"I have beds made up for both of you," the woman spoke up. "Or, if you're hungry, I can heat some food. There's plenty for all of us."

Jyn hesitated. She couldn't remember the last time she had sat down at a table for a meal, much less eaten food that wasn't dehydrated.

"I think Rey and I should catch up on sleep first," she decided.

"Of course," said the woman. "Follow me."

"I will let you know if I hear of any news," said Lor San Tekka.

"Thank you," said Jyn and with a final nod to him, she followed the woman, who carried the lit lamp in one hand, further into the house.

"My name is Ayla, by the way," she said as they walked down a short corridor. "Lor San Tekka asked if you could stay with me since my house is near the middle of the village, much safer that way."

"Thank you for allowing us to stay with you," said Jyn. "We shouldn't be here more than a night or so. And, please, call me Jyn."

Ayla waved a hand dismissively. "You're welcome to stay as long as you like, Jyn."

They reached the end of the hallway and Ayla stopped at a closed door. "Usually, I would turn on the lights but Lor San Tekka told everyone to use candles or lamps at night and only when absolutely necessary," Ayla explained. Then, she opened the door and set the lamp down on a far table. Jyn followed and found herself in a small windowless room. A large bed took up much of the space while a trundle bed had been set up next to it. Jyn tried not to notice that the larger bed was big enough for two people as she gently laid Rey down onto the trundle bed. As she removed Rey's boots and socks, she heard Ayla say, "I'll just be in the kitchen if you need me."

Jyn nodded without looking up and heard the creak of the door as Ayla closed it behind her. Once she had set Rey's boots and socks aside, she lifted her up to pull back the covers and settled her into the bed.

"Mommy?" Rey mumbled.

"Yes, Rey?"

"Are we safe now?"

Jyn sighed. "For the time being."

"Is Daddy coming here too?"

"I don't know, sweetheart."

At this, Rey's eyes popped open. "But he knows that old man, doesn't he?"

"Yes, but we could be leaving tomorrow and depending on where Daddy is, he might be too far away to come see us."

This made Rey sit up in bed. "Why do we have to leave? We just got here! I want to go home!" She wailed.

"Shhh," Jyn soothed, pushing Rey gently back down onto the bed. "I know, Rey, I want to go home too. I want to see Daddy as much as you do but we can't. We can't go home until he or Uncle Han find Ben."

 _And kill him_ , she added to herself. Although she knew neither Luke nor Han would do that. She, on the other hand…

She snapped out of those thoughts when she saw tears fill Rey's eyes. For a moment, Jyn thought Rey had somehow heard her thoughts until she cried, "I hope they find him really, _really_ fast!"

"I hope so too," said Jyn, brushing away the tears that had slid down Rey's cheeks. Then, she drew the covers up to Rey's chin and kissed her forehead

"Get some sleep, sweetheart. I'll be right next to you if you need me."

"Good night, Mommy," said Rey, yawning.

Allowing herself a small smile, Jyn stood and stepped over to the left side of the larger bed. Even though it was farther away from Rey, she knew she could never sleep on the right side of any bed.

After she yanked off her boots, she crawled into the bed and pulled the covers tightly around her. Then, Jyn let out a heavy sigh, grateful that the day's traveling was over for at least a few hours. She tried to push her anxieties from her mind as she wondered where Luke was, if he was safe and what he was doing at that moment. Jyn squeezed her eyes shut as his face flashed into her mind. His blue eyes that looked at her with such love and the smile that lit up his face when he played with Rey, particularly when he used the Force to lift her into the air.

Jyn shook her head as a way to dispel the memories. She couldn't torture herself like that. It only make her miss him more than she already did.

Rolling over onto her side and away from the right side of the bed, she curled herself into a ball, determined to sleep.

Sooner than she would have thought possible, she fell into a deep sleep. Then, as it had for the past few weeks, the dream—or was it a nightmare?—began.

 **Author** **'** **s Note: Please review!**


	2. The Dream

**Author** **'** **s Note: Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited or followed this story and especially to whomever added this story to The Skywalkers and Greatness Community. I think that** **'** **s the fastest that** **'** **s ever happened to one of my fics! Thank you very much and please enjoy chapter two!**

Chapter 2

The Dream

 _She stood in the spacious living room of a high rise apartment. A bright, patchwork blanket was spread out on the floor. Toy speeders and plush toy banthas were scattered around the blanket. In front of her, a wall of windows looked out over a cityscape that she recognized as Corcuscant. She gazed at the tall towers that glinted in the afternoon sun and only turned away from the beautiful scene when she heard the sound of glass shattering._

" _That_ _'_ _s it!_ _"_ _Leia yelled._ _"_ _Get_ out _of the kitchen, Han!_ _"_

" _I was trying to help!_ _"_ _Her husband protested._

" _You_ _'_ _re not helping by ruining dinner!_ _"_ _Leia snapped._ _"_ _Why didn_ _'_ _t you go to the market with everyone else?_ _"_

" _Someone had to stay here and keep an eye on things._ _"_

" _Oh, shut up._ _"_

 _The pair stood in front of an open oven and from Leia_ _'_ _s stained shirt, Jyn couldn_ _'_ _t help but smile as she easily deduced what had happened. Nevertheless, she hurried around the island counter that separated the kitchen from the rest of the room and saw the remains of what looked like a casserole smashed all over the floor._

" _Oh, good, I have reinforcements,_ _"_ _said Leia, catching sight of Jyn._ _"_ _Isn_ _'_ _t there some part of the Falcon that needs fixing, Han?_ _"_ _She asked, eyeing her husband._

 _Han didn_ _'_ _t reply to her question as he turned away from her and Jyn could saw the scowl on his face. Without another word, he stepped past Jyn and walked around the island counter, heading for the door._

" _I_ _'_ _m just glad you were only one here to witness this,_ _"_ _said Leia when he was gone._ _"_ _How are you feeling?_ _"_ _She added._

" _Better,_ _"_ _said Jyn._

" _If the smell becomes too much, I can finish cleaning_ _—_ _,_ _"_

" _Leia, it_ _'_ _s all right. I_ _'_ _m only a few months along and it_ _'_ _s not like I_ _'_ _ve never been pregnant before. Besides, your mother made me stay here. I have to do something!_ _"_

 _At this, Leia grinned and handed her a broom._

 _While Jyn swept up the broken casserole dish, Leia mopped the remains of the casserole itself and threw it all into the trash. As they were finishing up, the door opened and four people entered the apartment. Or rather, three of them as Jyn saw that Luke had strapped Kira into the baby carrier on his back. She watched as Rey made a beeline for the toy-filled blanket on the floor. When she looked back, she saw Luke and Leia_ _'_ _s mother bring up the rear of the small party, her arms laden with shopping bags of varying sizes. Yet, everything tumbled from her arms as she saw Leia rise from the wet floor and Jyn_ _'_ _s neat pile of broken glass._

" _What happened?!_ _"_ _she cried._

 _Leia quickly explained the situation and when she finished, her mother shook her head, smiling._ _"_ _Well,_ _"_ _she said,_ _"_ _it_ _'_ _s a good thing we bought extra food at the market._ _"_

 _Soon, Jyn was shooed out of the kitchen by Leia who was determined to recreate the meal by herself. Not even with help from her own mother._

" _Leia, I should be allowed to cook in my own kitchen,_ _"_ _she protested._

" _Not today, you aren_ _'_ _t,_ _"_ _Leia said firmly._

 _Rolling her eyes, Jyn walked into the living area where Luke was busy taking Kira out of her baby carrier._

" _There you go,_ _"_ _he said, setting her on the blanket._ _"_ _Play nice with your sister._ _"_ _He added as Kira began to crawl towards Rey._

" _Can we try on Kira_ _'_ _s new dress, Grandma?_ _"_ _Rey asked, dragging one of the many bags onto the blanket._

" _New dress?_ _"_ _Jyn asked._

" _Of course we can!_ _"_ _The older woman said, smiling. She settled herself on the blanket and tucked her gauzy skirt underneath her. Then, she picked up Kira and began unbuttoning her dress._

 _Shaking his head, Luke stood and walked over to Jyn. When he reached her, he slid an arm around her waist and murmured in her ear,_ _"_ _I tried to stop her, I swear. But you know as well as I do that there_ _'_ _s no stopping my mother from spoiling her granddaughters._ _"_

 _Jyn opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted by Rey who had walked over to them._ _"_ _I think Grandma is putting Kira_ _'_ _s dress on backwards,_ _"_ _she said in a loud whisper._

" _I heard that, little Miss Rey!_ _"_ _She called and she began readjusting the most colorful dress Jyn had ever seen. Kira_ _'_ _s arms and legs were all but swallowed in swaths of bright fabric._

 _Luke laughed and Jyn soon joined him. Meanwhile, Rey tried to help by tugging at the dress which only made Kira begin to cry_ _…_

* * *

Jyn woke with a start, heart racing as she saw nothing but darkness. When she sat up in bed, she remembered where she was. She was in a strange room in a stranger's house on a planet that was not her home. With these realizations came the others that always made her feel that her recurring dream was more of a cruel nightmare: there was no second child called Kira nor a third child on the way. There was no lavish Coruscant apartment owned by a doting grandmother who loved to spoil her granddaughters.

Worst of all, Jyn felt, there would never be as a happy family gathering like the one her mind so cruelly conjured for her.

As all of these realizations struck her, she felt weeks' worth of unshed tears slide down her cheeks. She didn't brush them away. Instead, she let them fall, pulling the blanket up to her chest and burying her face in it as her shoulders began to shake.

She only raised her head when she heard footsteps outside the door.

 **Author** **'** **s Note: I can assure that the next chapter will be longer. Please review!**


	3. The Reunion

**Author's Note: This chapter was equal parts my favorite chapter to write as well as the hardest chapter. Enjoy and please review!**

Chapter 3

The Reunion

Jyn leapt out of bed, grabbed her blaster that she had placed within reach and in three strides she was at the door. She opened it slowly, just wide enough to peer out into the hall. It was dark and empty. She was about to close the door, thinking the footsteps had been a product of her stressed state of mind when a light appeared at the end of the hall. It was Ayla, carrying a candle in one hand.

"Oh, Mrs. Sky—I mean, Jyn!" She cried in surprise. "Are you all right?"

"I thought I heard footsteps," said Jyn.

"It was just me. I was checking to make sure everything was locked up before I went to bed," said Ayla. She stared at Jyn for several seconds before she said, "Are you sure you're all right?"

"I—," Jyn began and then stopped. Where could she possibly begin? How much she missed Luke? The dream that had been haunting her for the past weeks? Her constant fear that the First Order would catch up to them? "I couldn't sleep," she finished lamely.

Ayla's face softened. "I understand. Come into the kitchen."

Once she saw that Rey was still sound asleep, Jyn shut the door behind her before she hurried after Ayla.

The kitchen was small, but unlike the rest of the house it was lit by several lights set into the ceiling. They gave off a warm, comforting glow that was still bright enough to see by. Jyn sank into a chair at a round wooden table where Ayla had set her candle into a holder. Ayla herself stood in front of a small stovetop, boiling water in a battered kettle.

"I've always found that a good cup of tea does wonders in a stressful situation," she said. She paused and then added, "I'm afraid I can't offer you milk or sugar as they're very hard to come by here."

"That's all right," said Jyn, "the stronger, the better."

When the water had boiled, Ayla filled two mugs and placed a teabag into each. Then, she placed one mug in front of Jyn and sat down across from her. Jyn fiddled with the string on the bag, watching as the water darkened.

"If you don't mind my asking," Ayla spoke up, "how did you come up with the name Rey?"

"Luke thought of it, actually," said Jyn. "She was born in the morning and the sun was just coming up. We hadn't really decided on a name and then Luke held her and suggested the name."

"How sweet," said Ayla.

"Yes," said Jyn softly, as she remembered when Rey had been born. She had never thought such love and happiness like that could exist until she had held her child in her arms. In the years since, Rey had certainly lived up to her name, bringing light and warmth wherever she went.

 _She is her father_ _'_ _s daughter, after all,_ Jyn reminded herself and she smiled slightly at the thought.

She was brought out of her memories at the sound of a series of knocks at the door. Ayla moved to get up, but Jyn grabbed her wrist. "Wait!" she hissed. "It could be the First Order."

"It isn't," said Ayla, calmly removing Jyn's hand. "It's Lor San Tekka. He and I came up with a series of coded knocks to use while you and Rey are here."

"So what did that knocking mean?"

"It means he's not alone," said Ayla as she stood and picked up the candle on the table.

Her answer did nothing to calm Jyn's nerves as she pushed back her chair and followed Ayla out of the kitchen. Jyn stayed one step behind her with one hand on her blaster as they walked. When they reached the front door, she shrank into the shadows as the older woman opened the door.

From the feeble light of Ayla's candle, she saw two figures standing on the threshold. The taller form of Lor San Tekka stepped forward and spoke to Ayla. His voice was so low that Jyn couldn't make out his words. While they spoke, the other figure entered the house. Jyn could see nothing of their features as they wore a long dark cloak with a hood covering their face.

She was about to raise her blaster when Ayla closed the door. Then, the stranger pulled back their hood. Even with the candlelight casting long shadows on his face, Jyn knew who it was, who she had hoped it would be.

" _Luke_ ," she breathed. She stepped out from her hiding place and let her blaster fall to the floor. Luke turned his head at the sound and his eyes widened at the sight of her. She saw his lips form her name but he could say no more as she flew at him, nearly knocking him off of his feet as her arms wrapped around his shoulders. Once he steadied himself, she felt Luke's arms wrap around her, one hand stroking her hair.

"Jyn," he whispered her name and there was a slight crack in his voice, "I'm so—"

"Did you find him?" Jyn cut in, her voice quaking.

"No."

"What?" Jyn pulled away but kept her hands on his shoulders. "What do you mean you haven't found him yet? What are you doing here?"

"I was with Han when Chewbacca sent a message saying that you and Rey had arrived safely on Jakku," he explained. "It was the first time that I knew exactly where both of you were. It was Han who suggested that I come and see you, so—"

"And what? We'd have a nice family picnic?" Jyn snapped. She removed her hands from his shoulders and folded them across her chest. "What if Ben senses that you're here?"

"He might feel my presence in the Force but there's nothing that would specifically lead him to Jakku," said Luke.

Jyn gritted her teeth. She knew that there were many things that she didn't understand about the Force. But, she did know the difference between those who used it for good or for evil and no matter what Luke said, she would never feel completely safe until Ben was captured. Still, she kept those thoughts to herself as she said, "All right, so he won't know you're on this specific planet but you still shouldn't be here. You should leave right now before anyone else knows that you're here."

"If I may interrupt, Jyn," said Lor San Tekka, "no one but Han Solo and those of us in this house know that Master Skywalker is here."

Jyn shot him a glare and ground her teeth in irritation. How could they be so calm? How could they not realize how dangerous this all was? "You're putting Rey in danger," she countered, looking back at Luke.

"Rey is half the reason why I decided to come," said Luke, still in that same calm voice. "Jyn, _please_ understand, I didn't decide to come here on a whim. You should've seen Han trying to convince to go once we got Chewie's message."

"So why did you decide to become completely reckless and come here?"

"You and Rey," he said, "and when Han told me that I might not have another chance." He finished softly.

No one spoke. Jyn stared at him as her mind sorted through the possible implications of his words. Eventually, Lor San Tekka said, "I believe Ayla and I will step outside to give the two of you some time to talk." With a nod to Luke, he turned, opened the door and stepped out into the night. Ayla hesitated for a moment before she followed him.

When they were gone, neither Jyn or Luke spoke for several long seconds. Finally, Luke asked, "Where's Rey?"

"Asleep," Jyn answered shortly.

"Oh. Good."

At that, Jyn turned and picked up her blaster where she had dropped it. Without looking at Luke, she kept walking down the hallway and back to the room she and Rey shared.

"Jyn," Luke whispered and she heard his footsteps quicken as he tried to catch up to her. "Jyn, wait."

She turned around so quickly that he nearly ran into her. When he had steadied himself, she took a deep breath and hissed, "How could you _do_ something like this?! I don't care _what_ Han said! You shouldn't have come here. You're only putting me and Rey in more danger than we already are! It's bad enough that Rey asks me every night where you are, if we're safe and when we can go home. And then I have this dream and I—!"

She stopped. She hadn't meant to tell anyone—especially him—about the dream. She also realized that she was nearly yelling at him. She was glad it was so dark in the hall that she couldn't see his expression but when he spoke, his voice was as gentle and as soft as she remembered. "Jyn, I understand your anger. Really, I do. But you have to believe me when I say that I considered every risk about coming here. I considered how much danger I would be putting you and Rey in and how safe Jakku was. But then I realized, I had to see you. I had to take the chance, despite everything because as I said earlier, I don't when I'll have another one."

Despite her fears and misgivings, she felt her anger slip away. However much she felt that his decision was reckless, he was still here. After so many weeks apart, the one person she had longed to see was standing before her. She stepped forward and placed a hand on his cheek, as if to assure herself that he was really there. In response, Luke covered her hand with his before he grasped it and brought it to his lips, kissing her knuckles. Then, he lowered her hand and he stepped closer to her until their noses were almost touching. Then, she wrapped her arms around his neck and brought her lips to meet his.


	4. Together

**Author's Note: I'm very sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. Life just got in the way and I was also trying to figure out the ending for the story. I'm still working on it but in the meantime, please enjoy this chapter!**

Chapter 4

Together

She thought she remembered how it felt to kiss him. They had shared countless kisses over the years and having been forced to go on the run, she would sometimes replay those memories in her mind during the long nights when she couldn't sleep.

But now that he was here and kissing her again, Jyn realized that memories could never compare to the real thing. She tightened her arms around him, wanting to be as close to him as possible. His thick cloak did not help in this regard but she was soon distracted as his lips moved to kiss her nose, her cheeks, her eyes and any other part of her that he could. Jyn ran her hands through his hair, loving the feel of it between her fingers.

When he pulled away, Jyn gripped his shoulders, both to keep him close to her and because she felt lightheaded.

"I missed you, Rogue One," Luke murmured.

Jyn said nothing but felt for his hand in the dark. When she found it, she squeezed it and was silently relieved to feel warm skin instead of the synth skin of his mechanical hand. "What should we do about Rey?" She asked softly. "I don't think she'll go back to sleep if she finds out you're here."

"Let's not wake her, then," said Luke.

Jyn nodded and, still holding his hand, she led him the rest of the way down the hall to the bedroom.

Despite her attempt to open the door as quietly as she could, it gave a loud squeak and she heard Rey mumble, "Mommy?"

Silently cursing the darkness, Jyn felt along the wall near the door and found a button. She pressed it and the small room filled with soft light. It was enough for her to see Rey sitting up in bed, blinking at the sudden brightness.

"It's all right, Rey," she said. "Everything's all right."

"I heard people talking."

"Yes, that was Lor San Tekka, the man who brought us here."

"Why was he here?"

Jyn sighed. _Of all the times for her to keep asking questions_ , she thought. She was trying to think of some sort of vague answer when Luke spoke, "Because someone had to make sure I found you and Mommy on this planet."

There was silence and then Rey whispered, "Daddy?"

Jyn stepped into the room, leaving Luke standing in the doorway. He crouched and opened his arms to his daughter. Jyn watched as Rey's wide eyes filled with tears and her mouth fell open. Then, she kicked her blankets away, leapt to her feet and hurled herself towards her father and into his arms.

"Daddy!" She wailed as Luke's arms wrapped her, hugging her to him. "I thought you were gone forever!"

"No, Rey, just for a little while," Luke said, stroking her hair. Jyn saw that his eyes were shining with tears. "I would never leave you and Mommy forever."

Rey said something incompressible as her face was buried in Luke's shoulder. Yet, he smiled as he straightened, walked over to the larger bed and sat down on the edge. Jyn, blinking away her own tears, sat down next to him and rubbed Rey's back as she sobbed with happiness. Her little body hitched with the force of her cries and soon, she began to cough.

"Rey!" cried Luke, alarmed. He lifted her from his shoulder and held her in his lap. Her face was bright red as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Calm down, sweetheart," Jyn soothed. "Take some deep breaths."

Rey let out a shuddering breath and squinted up at her through bloodshot eyes. Jyn smoothed back the damp hair from her face while Luke used a fistful of his cloak to wipe her tear-stained cheeks. When he finished, he asked, "Better?" She nodded and Luke hugged her to his chest and kissed the top of her head. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, I don't want to make you cry."

"I missed you," Rey mumbled.

"I missed you, too," said Luke and he held out his other arm whereupon Jyn slid closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. Luke wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. "I missed both of you very, _very_ much."

They stayed that way for how long, Jyn didn't know and nor did she care. All she knew was that it was the first time in weeks that she felt her body relax. Rey was safe and despite her misgivings, Luke had returned to them.

Yet, the contented moment was broken when Luke whispered, "I think someone's asleep."

"No, I'm not," said Jyn, raising her head from his shoulder and blinking rapidly.

"I didn't mean you, Rogue One," said Luke and he nodded at Rey and Jyn saw that she was nestled against his chest, fast asleep and had slipped her thumb into her mouth.

Jyn smiled. "She hasn't done that in awhile."

Luke nodded, smiling in amusement. Then, cradling Rey in his arms, he stood and settled her back into bed. As he tucked the blankets around her, Rey mumbled sleepily, "Daddy?"

"Yes, Rey?"

"Will you be here when I wake up?"

"Yes, Rey," said Luke without hesitation. "I promise, I'll be here."

"Good," she said and snuggled underneath the blankets. Luke kissed her cheek and then moved to the wall near the door. Jyn moved to her side of the bed as the light dimmed. When it was completely dark, she heard Luke kick off his boots and the soft thump as his cloak hit the floor. Then, to her great relief, she heard him climb into bed beside her. When she thought he had settled himself, she rolled over to face him. Even in the dark, her lips were drawn to his and she kissed him deeply.

"I missed you, too," she whispered when they parted.

He grasped one of her hands and stroked her knuckles with his thumb. Finally, he said, "This isn't over, Jyn. I don't know when it will be… _if_ it will be."

"What do you mean _if_?" Jyn hissed.

"I'm the last of the Jedi again," he said, "and you and Rey are my family. I believe—and Han agrees with me—that the First Order, especially the Knights of Ren won't stop hunting us until you and Rey are captured or…they kill me."

She knew she should've expected this. But the past weeks on the run had been so hectic that she had held some small hope that things would slow down and clear up on their own. After all, the galaxy was large and she was sure, there were planets that not even Luke or Han knew about. But, if the massacre at the Jedi Academy had been any indication, the Knights of Ren were swift and determined. Jyn and her family could not outrun sheer determination forever.

"So, what will we do?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

He stopped stroking her knuckles. "Lor San Tekka and I spoke on the way here. We've decided to meet and discuss things tomorrow."

"What kind of things?" asked Jyn, immediately suspicious. "Things that you don't want me involved with? Am I even invited to this meeting?"

"We can talk about it in the morning, Jyn," said Luke, calmly.

"Or we can talk about now," she snapped, "since we're already _talking_!"

Luke sighed. "I'm just trying to figure something out and I want Lor San Tekka's advice. Something that will let us go back to…how things were. Or, at least, where the three of us can be together," he finished softly.

At his words, the anger that had been boiling within her cooled and Jyn chastised herself for snapping at him. The past few weeks hadn't exactly been easy for him either. Ben had betrayed him and destroyed everything that she and Luke had worked so hard to create. Then, he had gone off searching for Ben with the added worries of wondering where his wife and daughter were and if they were safe.

"I'm sorry, Luke," she said softly.

Luke said nothing as he stroked her cheek, pausing only to kiss her temple. It was a light kiss but it was enough for to Jyn know that he had forgiven her. She was always amazed that he could never stay angry with her for long. Eventually, he asked, "Will you tell me about your dream?"

"Why do you want to know about that?"

"Because you said you've been having it since you and Rey left."

Jyn hesitated. Although, she had told herself that she would never tell him. She knew that she had to tell someone about it and who better than her husband?

She took a deep breath and began. "It's always the same dream, but I keep noticing new details each time. I'm standing in the living room of a high rise apartment on Coruscant…"

She told him everything. Every detail of her terrible dream, from Leia's scolding of Han to the color of the dress that Luke's mother had bought for Kira. As she spoke, Luke did not interrupt once, although she felt his arms wrap around her when she mentioned that the dream version of herself was pregnant. When she finished, neither of them spoke for several long minutes.

"Oh, Jyn," he sighed. "I'm so sorry."

"I don't where it came from," said Jyn. "I wasn't even thinking about…about having more children. It just…it always comes back." Her voice rose in pitch as she felt tears burn her eyes. Luke drew her to him while Jyn allowed her tears to fall onto his shoulder.

"Perhaps…one day, when this is all over…," Luke suggested when she had settled back onto her pillow but still remained within his embrace.

"No, Luke," she said vehemently. "We can't think like that. We have to think about the child we do have and her wellbeing."

"You're right," he said with a sigh. "I know, you're right…I was just thinking…" His words trailed away and then he asked, "But what was our second child's name?"

"Kira."

"Kira," he whispered, tasting it. Then, she felt his fingers caress her stomach. "Rey would be a wonderful big sister." He said so low that she almost didn't hear him.

"Luke?" said Jyn when he didn't say anything.

"Hmm?"

"We should get some sleep."

"Yes, we both need it, that's for sure." He pulled the blankets more tightly around them and kissed her forehead. Jyn let out a heavy sigh but, it was a sigh of contentment. For once, she did not have to sleep alone and wonder where Luke was.

"Jyn?" asked Luke, breaking into her thoughts.

"Yes?"

"Are you still angry with me for coming here?"

She swatted him lightly on the shoulder. "Go to sleep, farm boy," she muttered.

"As you wish, Rogue One," he whispered back.

 **Author's Note: Please review! And I will update when I can!**


	5. The Next Day

**Author** **'** **s Note: These chapters just seem to be getting longer and longer! Thank you to everyone who reviewed. I** **'** **m glad that so many people are enjoying this story so far, especially how I** **'** **ve written Luke and Jyn** **'** **s relationship. Hopefully you will still enjoy it after what I have planned for the rest of the story, as my initial ideas have changed and gone in a completely new direction. With that, enjoy the chapter and please review!**

 **(This chapter contains implied adult content).**

Chapter 5

The Next Day

When Jyn woke the next morning, she couldn't get out of bed. She soon realized that, instead of being wrapped in Luke's arms, she was now lying on her back. Luke lay on his side with one arm thrown across her waist, holding her in place. Normally, Jyn would have shoved it aside and made some snide remark. Instead, when she saw that he was still sound asleep beside her, she pushed his arm off of her as slowly as she could. Then, she slid out of the bed and tiptoed around it to check on Rey.

The little bed was empty.

Heart pounding, Jyn stepped forward, half-hoping that Rey was just buried underneath the blankets when—

"She's with Artoo," Luke murmured, his voice thick with sleep.

Jyn turned and her eyes met his half-opened ones.

"What?" she asked.

"She's with Artoo," Luke repeated. He held out a hand, clearly wanting her to come back to bed. Jyn ignored it as she stared down at him. "You brought R2-D2 with you?"

"Of course I did," said Luke, with a yawn. He lowered his arm to the mattress before he continued, "He stayed outside. Rey woke me up earlier and I didn't want to wake you so I took Rey outside and asked Artoo to watch her. They both seemed to like the idea."

Jyn smiled. R2-D2 adored Rey as much as Rey loved the little droid. Artoo wouldn't let anything happen to her.

At the thought, she walked back around the bed and slid underneath the covers.

"And how long did you tell Artoo to watch Rey?" Jyn asked, running her fingers through his rumpled hair.

"I said you and I needed to catch up on sleep," he replied. "Why?"

"Hmm, well, I wasn't really thinking about going back to sleep," said Jyn, her lips just inches from his by now.

"Neither was I," Luke murmured.

* * *

"Mommy, look! Artoo came!" Rey cried happily when Jyn and Luke opened the front door and stepped out into the bright Jakku morning. Artoo let out several excited beeps and whistles upon seeing Jyn.

Jyn smiled. "It's good to see you, Artoo," she said, patting his domed head. "Has Rey been a good girl for you?"

Artoo beeped in the affirmative.

"Good."

"I told him about all the planets we've seen!" said Rey, leaping up from the ground where she had been sitting, presumably chatting away at Artoo.

Before Rey could continue, a voice exclaimed, "Oh, I'm so sorry! I overslept!"

The three humans and the droid turned to see Ayla standing in the doorway. She glanced nervously from Jyn to Luke.

"It's all right, Ayla," said Luke. "Jyn and I have only been up for a short time. Besides, you deserve your rest too. It's been a busy few hours."

"But I meant to make breakfast for you and everything!" The older woman protested.

"Again, it's all right," said Luke. "We're supposed to meet with Lor San Tekka this morning. Could you show us the way to his home?"

Her face brightened. "Of course!"

Several minutes later, Jyn walked beside Luke as Ayla led the way to Lor San Tekka's home. Jyn kept an eye on Rey as she scampered ahead, waving to the other villagers as they stepped out of their huts, preparing to begin another day on the desert planet. While Rey was oblivious, Jyn couldn't help but notice the blatant stares from both old and young as they passed. Many, upon seeing Luke approach, bowed or even fell to their knees in reverence.

As the news spread that the Jedi Grandmaster was walking through the village, more people appeared and lined the packed sand that served as a street. Their progress was halted several times as the villagers presented small gifts to them. Luke graciously accepted everything from colorful beads to small packages of food. After receiving a gift, he spoke with the family for several minutes.

"Everyone here knows the history of the Jedi and the many stories about your husband," Ayla informed Jyn during one such stop. "Since only Lor San Tekka has met him, I think many people consider him something of a myth."

"What kind of stories?" Jyn asked, suddenly suspicious.

"Oh, everything from the destruction of the first Death Star to the Battle of Endor."

Privately, Jyn wondered if any of those stories mentioned her and the efforts of her team to steal the Death Star plans or even Leia and Han's involvement in the later battles.

Such was her surprise when they reached an old woman who stood outside of her hut. She was so stooped with age that Luke crouched down in front of her before took her hand in one of his.

"Master Skywalker," she wheezed, "how I have longed to meet you. We've all heard the stories about you and your family. But I remember hearing about the Jedi when I was as old as your daughter." Here, she turned her head to look at Rey who was surrounded by a group of children. Luke called her to him and when Rey arrived, the old woman reached out a shaking hand and laid it against Rey's cheek.

"My dear child," she said, "may the light side of the Force be with you always."

"But I don't know how to use the Force," said Rey, her forehead wrinkling in confusion.

The woman smiled. "That's all right. You're still very young." She lowered her hand from Rey's cheek and then bowed her head to Luke.

When they had set off walking again, Luke moved to Jyn's side and whispered, "I'm sorry about all of this."

"Luke, they've formed the Church of the Force. Of course, they're going to be in awe of you," said Jyn. Still, he took one of her hands and did not let it go until they reached Lor San Tekka's house. Unlike the other homes made of scrapes of mental or mud bricks or any other materials that they could find, Lor San Tekka lived in a large tent comprised of many different fabrics, in a wide range of textures and colors. The old man himself stood waiting for them at the entrance, beaming.

"I see the other villagers have noticed your presence here, Master Skywalker," he said when they reached him. "I hope they weren't too…enthusiastic."

"Everyone was very polite," said Luke.

"Excellent," said Lor San Tekka. "Now, please, come inside. I have plenty of food to share." Then, he turned and ducked underneath the flap of cloth that served as a door and Luke and Rey followed.

Before she followed after Luke, Jyn glanced at Ayla who said, "I'll be right here when you've finished. This is between Lor San Tekka and your family."

"Thank you," said Jyn and then added, "for everything."

Ayla smiled and gave her shoulder a light squeeze before Jyn ducked under the flap.

As she let her eyes adjust to the dark interior, several appetizing smells hit her nostrils and her stomach growled. She realized then how long it had been since she had last eaten a proper meal.

Jyn blinked and everything seemed to come into focus. She saw Rey and Luke standing in front of a table that was filled with platters of food. Jyn stepped over to them and grabbed a plate. If her stomach growling wasn't bad enough, her mouth began to water at the sight of the food.

While much of it was dried fruits or flatbreads with a selection of jams to choose from, to Jyn it looked like a feast. She helped herself to a portion of everything, whether she actually liked a particular food or not. When she finished, she turned and saw that Rey held her own plate steady as Luke filled it with what she wanted. Jyn opened her mouth to warn her not to spill anything when her own plate rose from her hands, seemingly on its own. But Jyn knew better and she glared at Luke as he used the Force to move the three plates across the short distance to where Lor San Tekka sat near a glowing brazier.

"Yay!" Rey cried and began clapping when the plates landed gently on the rug in front of the brazier.

"How is she supposed develop fine motor skills if she thinks she can use the Force for everything?" Jyn whispered to him, as she walked over to the rug.

Luke smirked and said, "I'm not planning on teaching her to use the Force like that until she can handle a lightsaber."

"So not until she's eighteen?"

"Exactly."

They shared a smile, knowing that Rey had been asking to learn how to use a lightsaber from the moment she had seen Luke dueling with one of his students. The smiles remained on their faces as they settled on either side of Rey on the rug. Lor San Tekka smiled as well and said, "It is an honor to welcome you, Master Skywalker and your family to my humble dwelling. Although, as I told to Jyn and Rey last night, I wish it could have been under more happier circumstances. As such, we will eat first before discussing recent events and what to do about them. So, please eat."

Taking this as her cue, Rey began eating with a veracity Jyn had never seen from her before. While any other time she might have scolded her for eating so quickly and in someone else's home, she knew Rey must have been even hungrier than Jyn herself was.

However, she did intervene when it seemed Rey was determined to spread jam all over her face as she licked it from a piece of flatbread.

"Rey, there's no reason to get it all over you," she said, wiping Rey's face with a corner of her shirt.

"But it's really good, Mommy!"

"I know and I'm sure Lor San Tekka wouldn't mind if you had more as long as you don't wear it on your face."

"Okay," Rey said and Lor San Tekka chuckled. When Jyn wiped the last of the jam from Rey's face, she met Luke's eye and he gave her one of his small smiles.

Shortly thereafter, they finished eating and Lor San Tekka asked, "Now, Master Skywalker, what is the news so far?"

Jyn saw Luke bite his lip before he spoke, a sign that she knew meant how irritated he was at being referred to by anything other than his first name. He might be the Jedi Grandmaster, but that did not mean he had to endure formalities at all times.

"The remaining Knights of Ren seemed to have fled to all corners of the galaxy," said Luke. "However, once they were informed about what happened, Leia and Han decided to focus their efforts on finding their son, Ben who now goes by the name of Kylo Ren. Or, I suppose, Han and some of our other friends are trying to find Ben. Leia's been too preoccupied with trying to put out a political firestorm."

"I see," said Lor San Tekka, nodding gravely. "And how long will you search for him? What if he is not found…or rather, does not _want_ to be found?"

"If things come to that, then I will get Jyn and Rey and we'll find some far off planet to live on," said Luke.

"What?" cried Jyn. "So, we're just going to hide away and forget about everything?"

"I didn't say that," said Luke calmly. "I meant that we'll find a new planet. Somewhere far from where we used to live. We could start again. Just the three of us."

"Would you build up the Order again?" Lor San Tekka asked before Jyn had time to come up with a retort.

"I don't know," Luke admitted. "I think I would have to discuss that with Jyn first—"

"Yes, you would," she muttered under her breath.

"—But I know there must be more Force sensitives out in the galaxy," Luke continued. "The Jedi may never be as many as they once were, but I know that I must pass on what I know before I'm gone."

"A noble and worthy goal," said Lor San Tekka. "However, for the present, I know that myself and the village are happy to host Jyn and Rey for as long as is needed."

"Thank you," said Luke.

* * *

When they left Lor San Tekka's home some time later, the streets of the village were mostly empty but Jyn was grateful when Ayla led them along the edge of the village. No doubt sensing their need to talk privately, she walked several paces of ahead of them. Rey walked behind her with R2-D2 rolling along beside her. Jyn couldn't help but smile as Rey chatted away at Artoo with the droid answering in a series of beeps and whistles. She was distracted from the sight when she felt Luke's hand slip into hers and squeeze it. She squeezed back and then met his gaze.

"What happens now, Luke?" she asked. She realized that in her happiness and relief to see him again, she had not thought about when they would need to separate again.

"There's a shuttle ship coming to pick me up later today," he replied. "It's the same one that brought me here. I'll have to go to Niima Outpost to get it."

"Oh," said Jyn, in a small voice.

At this, Luke stopped walking. As she was still holding onto his hand, Jyn stopped too and turned to face him. His face was expressionless as he stared at her for several long seconds before he rested his forehead against hers, sighing heavily.

"I'm sorry, Jyn," he whispered. "I wish more than anything that things didn't have to be like this. If it were up to me, we would all leave this junkyard planet today and we could stay at Han and Leia's. And I'm sorry for what I said at Lor San Tekka's—about us just hiding away somewhere—to be honest, I don't know what I will do if we don't find Ben."

"Then, worry about that when you do find him," said Jyn, "And Luke, I hope you realize that none of what happened is your fault and that you won't blame yourself if you don't find Ben."

He opened his mouth to speak but she pressed a finger to his lips. "You know as well as I do that it was Snoke who made Ben turn to the dark side, not you," she said. "I know that you say that you should've been able to keep him safe but…for everything that you taught him, he decided to listen to Snoke rather than you. And once that happened, it didn't matter what you or Han or Leia said or did, Ben still would have followed Snoke."

"But, why?" Luke asked, a slight trace of frustration in his voice. "Why did he listen to him?"

Jyn shrugged. "Something he must've told him, maybe a story about Vader and Palpatine, excited Ben and made him begin to hate the light side. So if you want to blame anyone for everything that's happened, blame Palpatine and Snoke."

Luke said nothing but his hands came up to grasp her shoulders and he kissed her. Jyn, wasting no time, hooked her arms around his neck, pulling him closer as she returned his kiss.

"How do you always know what to say to make me feel better?" he asked when they parted.

"Well, I've had quite a few years of practice," she said, her voice slightly muffled as she leaned into his chest. She felt, rather than saw his smile as he kissed the top of her head.

They stood there for several long minutes with only the wind whistling through the sand. Jyn was about to suggest that they should catch with the others when Luke's arms tightened around her, his nails digging almost painfully into her back. She felt him tense against her if he could create a protective barrier around her with his body.

"Jyn," he whispered, his lips inches from her ear, "I want you to move very slowly away from me and have your blaster ready."

She did as he said and slid out of his arms, a hand on her blaster. When she stood next to him, she saw that he was staring ahead and away from the direction in which they had been walking. With a sinking feeling, Jyn followed his gaze to a sand dune in the distance.

On the crest of the dune stood three black cloaked figures.

 **Author's Note: Please review!...If you don't hate me too much, that is.**


	6. The Ambush

**Author** **'** **s Note: Much quicker this time! I think action scenes are not my strongest area in writing so if anything seems confusing please let me know and I will revise it. I** **'** **ve already fixed several things in previous chapters, so it** **'** **s no big deal. I hope you enjoy the chapter** **—** **considering what I put Jyn through** **—** **and please review!**

 **Special thanks to fictionfrek101 for finding out the name of Lor San Tekka** **'** **s village.**

Chapter 6

The Ambush

Despite the heat of the desert, Jyn felt a shiver run down her spine as she stared up at three people on the dune. She knew exactly who they were. Any doubts in her mind left when she glanced at Luke and saw that he had one hand on his lightsaber hilt.

She had been so careful. How could they have found her family? Was this the price she had to pay for reuniting with Luke?

"Jyn," Luke kept his eyes fixed ahead, "you need to run."

"No," she said firmly. "I have my blaster. I can—"

"You need to get to Rey," Luke said. At this, Jyn looked behind her and saw Ayla, R2-D2 and the small figure of Rey in the distance. They seemed to be waiting for Jyn and Luke to get catch up to them, unaware of the danger.

"And what are you going to do? Take on all three at once?" Jyn snapped, turning back to Luke.

Before he could reply, the figure on their left broke off from the group and began making his way down the dune. Instead of heading towards Jyn and Luke, however, he moved to their left and away from them yet remained within sight about thirty feet away. His companions, meanwhile began walking straight toward them.

While Luke seemed focused on the two figures, Jyn kept an eye on the third. His pace was quick but steady as he trudged through the sand, seemingly unperturbed that he was being watched.

He was nearly parallel with her and Luke when Jyn realized what was happening.

She spun on her heel and sprinted towards the group in the distance, kicking up sand as she went. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Knight change his course and was now running towards from her right. Yanking out her blaster, she aimed squarely at his approaching form and fired. "Rey, r—!" She started to shout when her legs suddenly buckled underneath her and she fell onto the hot sand, her blaster falling from her grasp. Before she even contemplate what had caused her to fall, her throat constricted, cutting off her airway. She gagged and coughed, instinctively clutching her throat to remove whatever it was that was choking her.

There was nothing there.

Gasping for air, Jyn looked behind her and saw the Knight of Ren standing before her, one hand outstretched toward her as though he were gripping an invisible object. She couldn't tell if it was the same one she had fired at or one that had remained on the dune.

"Please—," she rasped, but the pressure around her throat tightened. Croaking noises issued from her mouth as she struggled for air and soon, black spots bloomed in her vision.

And then, as the spots grew larger, the tightness around her throat was gone and she collapsed onto the sand. Chest heaving, she drank in great lungfuls of the dry Jakku air, filling her lungs to their full capacity.

"Jyn!" As she blinked away the black spots, Luke's face filled her vision. His blue eyes peered down at her with fear and concern. She could hear the hum of his lightsaber nearby but didn't say anything as his arm slid around her shoulders. Once she was sitting up, she felt his fingertips brush her neck. Whether he was checking for marks or swelling, Jyn didn't know as she continued to take deep breaths.

"Step away from her, Skywalker," The voice of the Knight of Ren was deep yet had a mechanical quality to it. Not unlike Darth Vader's, although the pitch was not as deep.

Luke rose to his feet but did not leave Jyn's side. "If you're here to take me prisoner, you may," he said evenly. "But let my wife and daughter go."

"I won't do that, Skywalker," said the Knight. "If you didn't notice, there are two of us and two of you." As he spoke, the second Knight of Ren appeared at his side. Jyn now noticed that both of them held glowing blue lightsabers in their hands.

"If you chose to fight me, know that you will feel the full extent of my powers," said Luke. "I am the Jedi Grandmaster, after all."

"You are the Grandmaster of no one!" growled one of the Knights. "The Jedi are dead, except for you. But we have our orders to fix that."

"Go, Jyn!" Luke yelled and she, nearly tripping over her own feet in her hurry to get up, grabbed her blaster and took off at a sprint in the direction of Rey, Ayla and R2-D2. She had only been running for a few minutes when she realized that she should have caught up to them by now. She and Luke couldn't have gotten so far behind them just to talk without being overheard.

Jyn slowed to a jog as she continued to scan the flat landscape for any sign of Rey and the others. She didn't see them or any sign of the third Knight of Ren, dead or otherwise.

She stopped running and turned in a circle to be sure she hadn't missed anything. While she did see the cluster of huts that she knew was Tuanul, it was a small comfort as she still did not see any other lifeforms. She opened her mouth to yell for Rey when—

"Mommy! Mommy!"

From the direction of Tuanul, Rey ran as fast her little legs could carry her with Artoo chirping and whistling behind her. Jyn could see tears stream down her cheeks as she hurtled towards her. Jyn covered the short distance in no time and scooped her little girl into her arms.

"Rey!" She hugged her to her chest, feeling relief wash over her. "Oh, Rey, are you all right?"

Instead of answering, Rey burst into tears as she clutched her mother's shirt.

"It's all right, sweetheart," Jyn soothed. "It's all right, you're safe."

"But—But, w-where's Daddy?" Rey asked between sobs.

"He's dealing with the people in black," said Jyn. "He'll be here soon." She stroked Rey's hair in an attempt to calm her but her cries continued. She sat down in the sand and shifted Rey into her lap, cradling her against her chest. When Rey's cries had seemed to lessen, Jyn asked, "Where's Ayla?"

"When—when we saw the people in black, A-Ayla ran toward the v-village and w-went to tell Lor San Tekka w-what happened," Rey answered, her voice shaking.

"We should go find her," Jyn decided, "We'll be safer—"

"That won't be necessary," said a mechanical voice.

Jyn looked up and saw the third Knight standing above her, looking unharmed. She watched as he reached into his cloak and pulled out not a blaster or a lightsaber but a dagger about six inches long. The blade caught the sunlight, giving off a distinctly silver-colored tint.

At the sight of it, Jyn set Rey on her feet. "Rey, I need you to go with Artoo and run back to Tuanul as fast as you can."

"No!" she cried, grabbing Jyn's hand.

"Rey, please, listen—"

"NO!" she yelled. Jyn glanced back at the Knight only to find that he hadn't moved. She got up and pushed Rey behind her.

"What you doing just standing there?!" she snapped. "I thought you were here to kill us!"

"I am," said the Knight, "but I was hoping your husband might show up to witness it."

Jyn gritted her teeth in anger as she raised her blaster and fired at the Knight, determined to not to miss this time. At the same moment, he threw the dagger in his hand. She watched as if in slow motion as the blaster bolt shot through the Knight's chest and he fell to the ground.

And then the dagger hit its mark.

If she had thought being Force choked was painful, it was nothing compared to this. Fire spread through her body from the point where the dagger struck, underneath her collar bone. The pain was so immense and sudden that before Jyn could pull the dagger out she had fallen to the ground. She couldn't even yell at Rey to run as she writhed on the ground, her hands clawing at the dagger handle as she tried to grab it and pull it out. Anything to stop pain. It was as if all of her nerve-endings were on fire. Her eyes were squeezed shut and she felt tears stream down her cheeks.

Someone was screaming. She couldn't tell if it was her own screams or Rey's. But then a voice broke through, and she recognized her name.

"Jyn! _JYN_!"

Then, she felt a slight pressure and some of the pain ebbed away. But it was still there and she cried out as a new jolt of fire coursed through her veins. She was dimly aware of hands gripped her shoulders, trying to still her thrashing. It was this movement that allowed her to open her eyes just a crack and she met Luke's blue ones.

"Jyn!" He gasped. "Thank the Force! What happened? What did he—Jyn, NO!"

For as she stared up at him, she felt her eyes drift close and everything went black.

 **Author** **'** **s Note: Please review!**


	7. Recovery

**Author's Note: I'm very sorry to have kept you all in suspense for so long but between going on vacation and getting a terrible cold, I haven't felt like writing anything until recently. Thank you to everyone who favorited/followed this story in the meantime. As always, I hope you enjoy the chapter and please review!**

Chapter 7

Recovery

Jyn had absolutely no idea where she was. It was unlike any planet or galaxy she had seen before.

For one thing, she felt weightless. Floating in a strange green world, where there was nothing to see except the shafts of light that made Jyn decide the world—or wherever she was—was green. It was not unlike being at the bottom of a deep lake, yet her clothes did not feel heavy like they would if they were soaked with water nor was she in need of oxygen.

In fact, she felt nothing at all. All she knew was floating in this strange green world, letting her body be born along wherever the current took it. She didn't think she could move even if she tried. She had no thoughts in her head, expect to wonder at where she was. But even that didn't necessarily bother her. It was so peaceful.

She would be quite content to stay there forever if she could.

Until she heard the shout.

Her head jerked up at the sound that was already an echo. She listened hard but heard nothing. Had it even been a shout? Or something from her imagination?

Then she heard it again, louder and clearer this time.

 _Jyn!_

Someone was calling her name. But who? Was someone here with her in this strange world?

"Hello?" She called out. Not very loud, but she figured that the sound carry in the vast stillness.

 _Come back!_

She spun in a circle, glancing about her but she saw no one. The emptiness of the place wasn't so comforting anymore. Someone was calling to her and she couldn't see anyone or anything. How was she supposed to get to them?

 _Jyn, please! Please come back!_

"Where are you?" she cried. "Come back to where?" She felt tears welling up in her eyes. The voice sounded so desperate, so sad. She wanted to help them but how could she? She didn't even know where she was.

 _Jyn!_

And then realization hit her: the voice was male and she knew exactly who was calling for her.

"Luke!" she yelled. _"Luke!"_

There was no reply. But that didn't matter. Somewhere, Luke was waiting for her. Waiting for her to come back from this place. There was only way she could do that.

She looked up and was nearly blinded by a bright light like sunlight on water. The light even wavered and shifted as though she were seeing through water. But it wasn't water nor was it air either. She didn't care. She cupped her hands and pushed herself upward and kicked her legs at the same time. She continued swimming for how long she didn't know, she just kept moving and kept her gaze fixed ahead, and yet sensing the green fading away around her.

Until all she saw was light.

* * *

She felt herself return to consciousness. She kept her eyes closed, preferring the feel of the heavy mattress underneath her. It was so soft that she half-hoped it would let her sink back into the stillness and quiet of that strange world. Instead, she heard whispered voices nearby and she remained where she lay, concentrating as hard as she could on what the voices were saying.

"You should get some sleep," a woman's voice said. "I'll sit with her."

"No."

"I'll come and get you the moment she wakes up. She will wake up, you know that, don't you?"

"What if we gave her the antidote too late?"

"It's not too late," the woman insisted. "She's just in a very deep sleep. She—"

"Enough, Leia."

Then a hand grasped into hers. It was warm but there was something off about it. Something not quite real. Something mechanical.

Jyn knew that hand.

"Luke?" Her voice was barely more than a whisper. Her tongue felt large and uncooperative as though it were too big for her mouth. The hand tightened its grip on hers.

"Jyn?" he whispered and she could feel his breath on her ear. "Can you hear me? Can you open your eyes?"

She did, but just the slightest crack and there was more bight light that made her wince and shut them. She waited several seconds before she cautiously opened them again.

Her gaze met Luke's bleary and bloodshot eyes. The edges were rimmed with red and the dark circles underneath them were highlighted by his pale face.

"You look tired," she whispered.

He gave her a wan smile. "Don't worry about me. How are you feeling?"

"Tired."

"That makes two of us."

"Rey?"

"She's fine. Well, she's very worried about you but otherwise, she's fine. She's with Han and Maz. You remember her, don't you?"

Something that she hoped was a smile formed on her lips. Of course, she remembered Maz. How could she ever forget her? Jyn and Luke had spent their honeymoon on Takodana, after all.

She opened her mouth to ask about how they'd gotten to Takodana but she found that she couldn't get the words out. Her throat was so dry and when she tried to wet her lips, her tongue felt like sandpaper. When the coughing subsided, she opened her mouth again only to have a straw slipped between her lips and upon taking a sip, felt cold water slide down her throat.

When she finished, she sat back, breathing deeply. It was only then that she saw Leia standing on the other side of her bed.

"Welcome back, Jyn" she said with a smile. "You had us all very worried for awhile there. I'll leave you and Luke alone but I think Maz will want to examine you."

"Why would she examine me?" Jyn asked when Leia had left. "She's not a doctor."

"No, but she gave you the antidote that saved your life," said Luke.

"What?"

Here, Luke shifted closer to her. "I'll explain everything later, but—"

"No!" Jyn cried, sitting up straighter. "I want to know what happened to me! How did we get here? Why was I asleep for so long? Is Rey really all right or did you just tell me that? What's going on?!"

Luke was on his feet now and his hands were on her shoulders as he gently pushed her back against the pillows.

"Now, why are you getting yourself so worked up?" asked a voice.

Jyn turned her head and saw Maz Kanata standing in the doorway. Her hands were on her hips as her eyes, magnified by her goggles stared at Jyn with a scolding look.

"I just want to know what's going on," said Jyn.

"As would anyone after they've been unconscious for three days," said Maz. She marched into the room, pushed the door shut behind her before she climbed up onto a nearby chair and pulled down the part of the robe that covered Jyn's chest. It was then that she said it was covered in thick white bandages. With nimble fingers, Maz peeled the bandages off and upon seeing what was underneath, Jyn felt her stomach twist.

She had sustained many injuries throughout her life, but none of them were like this. Where the skin below her left collarbone had been unmarked, there was now a red puncture wound. The skin surrounding it was a myriad of blue and purple.

"It will leave a scar," said Maz, "but if a scar is the only thing that is the result of all of this, then you are very, very lucky."

"What's this antidote you gave me?" Jyn asked.

Instead of answering, Maz cleaned the wound and placed fresh bandages over it and threw the old ones away. When she finished, she said, "The knife that the Knight of Ren threw at you was laced with poison. And not just any poison either. It was Devaronian blood poison."

" _Blood_ poison?" Jyn exclaimed. "Who would make a poison like that? And how did the Knights of Ren find out about it?

"The First Order must have its resources because this is the first time I've heard of it since the time of the Old Republic," Maz answered, "and even then it was very rare. Rare, because it was not a poison that could be concocted like a potion but instead, it came from a gemstone. A gemstone that when it came in contact with skin, caused immense pain. It was even ground down and added into molten metals that were later made into knives or swords."

"So, that was why I was in so much pain," said Jyn, slowly.

Maz nodded. "Yes, and—as the name implies—if it had entered your blood stream, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

Jyn bit her lip at Maz's words, thinking back to her time spent in that strange green world. Had that been a form of limbo? A place for her to decide whether she lived or let the poison take her?

She felt a shiver run down her spine. She didn't want to think about what would have happened if she hadn't heard Luke's voice. As if sensing her thoughts, she felt him squeeze her hand. She was about to ask him what had happened when she had been unconscious when Maz spoke,

"Now, then," She placed her hands on her hips and glared at Jyn. "There are some things that I need to discuss with you, Jyn Erso Skywalker—"

"Maz, I don't think now is the time—," Luke began.

"Now is the perfect time!" she snapped. "When I said the two of you were welcome here the last time you were here that you could visit you and Luke were welcome here anytime, I didn't meant that one of you should be injured! And another thing—" Here, she took off her goggles, keeping her eyes fixed on Jyn, —"was that charming little girl who keeps referring to you as Mommy the result of your time here?"

Despite herself, Jyn laughed. Or something that she hoped sounded like a laugh. Here she survived an attack from a rare poison and it was all thanks to the little humanoid in front of her. But all that humanoid could focus on was when Jyn's daughter had been conceived.

"I _knew_ it!" Maz cried, placing her goggles back over her eyes. "And how could you not inform me this wonderful news for five years?!"

"No, Maz," Jyn said, trying to control her laughter. "She was the result of our first year anniversary. And we didn't tell you because…well, we were a little busy trying to learn how to be parents."

"Is this really an appropriate topic right now?" Luke wondered aloud.

Ignoring him, Maz said, "I see." She paused and then continued, "You may be feeling lethargic for a few days so don't feel like you need to get out of bed. The fact that you're awake and talking is proof enough that the antidote is working. I had to administer to the antidote intravenously."

"How can you have an antidote for a poison that's so rare?" Jyn asked.

Maz shrugged. "I try to prepare for everything. Besides, I can't have everyone dying on me left and right. It's bad for business. But not everyone gets a private chamber in my castle to recover."

"I'll consider myself very lucky, then," said Jyn.

Shortly thereafter, Maz left, saying that she would return in a few hours. The door had nearly closed behind her when a hand stopped it and Leia poked her head into the room.

"Are either of you feeling up to eating something?" she asked. "I can bring something, if you'd like."

"I think I'll stay here with Jyn for awhile," Luke replied.

"No, if you're hungry, you should go," said Jyn. "Besides, I want talk to Leia about something."

"Me?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow in surprise. "What about?"

"It's—It's about the Force."

"I think the person you need to be talking to about that is sitting right next to you," said Leia with a laugh.

Jyn turned to Luke with an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, I promise I'll tell you about it later, but—"

He held up a hand, cutting her off. "No need to make promises, Jyn. I'll leave you to talk with Leia. Although, I don't know how long I'll be able to keep Rey from seeing you." With that, he rose from his chair and kissed her cheek before he moved around the bed to the door. When some whispered words to Leia, he was gone.

"Now, why on earth would you want to talk to me about the Force?" Leia asked, sitting down in Luke's vacated chair.

"Have you and Luke ever…communicated through the Force?" Jyn asked. "Like you could hear his voice in your head."

She pursed her lips in thought. "There was that time on Bespin…but that was more of a feeling. I just _knew_ that he was all right and that he was still there."

Jyn nodded. She'd heard the story many times before. "After I was attacked, I fell unconscious because the pain but then when I woke up, I was in this strange place…" She went on to describe the strange green world that was like being underwater and then how she had heard Luke's voice calling to her, pleading with her to come back.

"The only thing I could think of for why I was hearing his voice was the Force. But I'm not Force Sensitive. I didn't even really believe in the Force until I met him."

"Everyone has some of the Force in them," said Leia. "Maybe it just became more pronounced to you because of the state you were. So it helped you connect to a person who was strong with the Force."

"Did he say any of those things that I mentioned?"

Leia hesitated. "No…not exactly, but Jyn,—" She leaned forward and took one of Jyn's hands in hers. "I have never seen my brother more afraid than I have in the past few days. He refused to leave your side for anything. Han nearly had to drag him out of this room just to get him to eat something or check on Rey." Her grip suddenly tightened on Jyn's hand. "He said that if the antidote didn't work and you died, he didn't what he would do. Especially knowing that he could've— _should've_ —stopped the attack. He was terrified of becoming a widower."

Jyn said nothing for several long minutes. She felt tears prick her eyes at the thought of Luke, so scared that she would die and leave him. She wanted to scoff at the idea that she had returned to life because of the so-called deep connection between her and Luke. But if Leia had witnessed his devotion, perhaps there was something to it.

Before she could ask anything more, there was a sharp knock on the door. It opened just wide enough for Rey to come tearing into the room, making a beeline for the bed. Her face was red and streaked with tears as she threw herself at her mother.

"Careful, Rey!" Leia cried, stopping her before she came in contact with Jyn's bandaged chest.

"Mommy, y-you're all ri-right?" Rey stuttered between sobs.

"Yes, sweetheart, come here," Jyn said. When Leia had helped Rey over to her side of the bed, Rey immediately curled into Jyn's side. Her tears began anew and soon, much like on Jakku, her little body convulsed with the force of her sobs.

"Rey, it's all right," Jyn soothed. As much as she hated to see Rey so distraught, she couldn't help but feel a warmth spread throughout her entire body as she looked her daughter. Rey was safe and unharmed and to her, that was all that mattered.

"You coulda died, Mommy! I don't want you to die!"

"Yes, I could've died, Rey but I didn't because I didn't want you and Daddy to be sad."

"But Daddy _was_ sad," said Rey, raising her head to look up at Jyn. "I didn't see him for days! And when I did see him, he didn't laugh or give me his goofy smile or anything!"

"Yes, I know. But I'm going to get better."

"Promise?"

"Yes, I promise especially after the medicine I recieved."

"Oh! You mean the medicine Great Aunt Maz gave you?"

Jyn smiled. "Yes, that's it."

"I see Maz has already established herself in the family," Leia muttered. "I've been demoted."

"That's what she told me to call her," said Rey, turning to Leia. "But you're still my favorite aunt, Aunt Leia!"

"I'm your only aunt, sweetheart," Leia said in a low voice and Jyn gave a small snort of laughter.

But Rey was soon distracted as Luke returned, bearing a mug of some steaming liquid. At the sight of him, Rey squealed and slipped off of the bed, yelling to him about Jyn's promise to get better so that Rey and Luke wouldn't be sad.

Watching the happy sight, Jyn felt a smile spread across her lips. One of her first true smiles in a long time. There would be time later to tell Luke about what had happened to her while she had been asleep. But for now, especially in this moment, she would accept Leia's answer.

Her family—and her love for them—had called her back.

 **Author's Note: Confession time: Jyn was originally going to die from the poison but I decided that it would be too jarring to switch to another character's point of view and I love writing Jyn and Luke's relationship too much. I found the blood poison on Wookieepedia and it was only mentioned in two or three EU books. Please review!**


	8. On Takodana

**Author's Note: Well…I had plans to finish this by the time Rogue One came out. Obviously, that didn't happen. Thank you to everyone who reviewed/favorited/followed this story during my little hiatus. Between national events like the election and this chapter just getting longer and longer, I just couldn't seem to update in a timely fashion. I'm so sorry for that and I hope this long chapter makes up for it.**

 **So, without further ado, enjoy and please review!**

 **This chapter contains implied adult content.**

Chapter 8

On Takodana

Jyn spent the next several days sleeping or during the times when she managed to stay awake longer than a few minutes, trying to eat something. As much as she wanted to get out of bed the same day that she had initially woken up, she felt very lethargic and found it easier to stay in bed. Thankfully, during those times when she woke, a member of her family would always be sitting by her bedside.

On one such day, she woke to find Luke dozing in the chair beside her bed. However, he jerked awake when she murmured his name.

"I guess it's good morning to both of us," he said, rubbing his eyes. "I came in to ask if you felt like eating anything but you were asleep so…"

"So you fell asleep too?" Jyn asked, smiling.

Luke shrugged sheepishly. "It just sort of…happened."

Jyn smile widened. While she was sure that he wasn't back to a normal sleep schedule, he was looking much better. The dark circles under his eyes had faded and his skin was no longer pale with fatigue. She held out her hand and he took it.

"What about you?" he asked. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," she replied, "and hungry."

Luke grinned. "Good. I'll go get you something." He placed a light kiss on her cheek before he rose from his chair and stepped out of the room. When the door had slid shut behind him, Jyn raised herself up into a sitting position and propped herself up with her pillow. Then, she tugged at the neck of her shirt and peered at her injury.

She was relieved to see that the bruising had faded and was now a light purple. The wound itself was covered with a bandage, per Maz's insistence. Jyn wasn't one to argue with her as she had no idea how long it would take a wound like hers to heal.

At the sound of the door sliding opening, she let her shirt fall back into place and settled against her pillow. Luke appeared, bearing a bowl of soup on a tray with Maz and Rey, who carried a spoon and a napkin, behind him. He laid the tray carefully on her lap before he resuming his seat on the other side of her bed.

"Here you go, Mommy," said Rey, laying the spoon and napkin on the tray.

"Thank you, sweetheart," said Jyn, smiling at her.

"It's still hot so you have to blow on it so you don't burn yourself," said Rey, matter-of-factly. "And you have to eat all of it so you can get better!"

"Yes, Nurse." Jyn dipped the spoon into the soup and dutifully blew on it. Satisfied, Rey walked around the bed and climbed up into Luke's lap.

"If you're feeling up to it, I suggest you get up and move around. Not too much but just to get your muscles working again," Maz spoke up.

"Do you think there'll be any…lasting effects?" Jyn asked.

Maz shook her head. "No, you're recovering very well. But I would like you to remain here for the time being."

"Can't we stay here forever?" Rey asked.

"We'll talk about that later, Rey," said Luke, quietly. "Let's help Mommy get better first."

"Well, if you will excuse me, I have some work to attend to," said Maz. She winked at Luke before she left the room.

When she was gone, Jyn asked. "What was that about?"

Luke shrugged. "She keeps talking about some project of hers and asking me questions about our honeymoon. This is the first time I've seen her in a few days."

Before Jyn could ask anything more, Rey exclaimed. "Mommy, you're not eating your soup! You need to eat your soup!"

Jyn laughed and resumed eating.

* * *

Later, the three of them walked up and down the long corridor or rather, Jyn shuffled along while Luke kept a steadying hand on the small of her back. Rey remained several feet ahead of them, yelling encouragement to her mother.

"Come on, Mommy! You're almost to the end! You can do it!"

They were heading back to Jyn's room only to find Leia waiting for them.

If Luke was looking more relaxed and rested, it was now Leia to be the one who looked fatigued. Her face was drawn and there were dark circles underneath her eyes. Her hair was pulled back into a bun but several strands had already fallen out.

When they reached her, Luke asked, "Leia? What's wrong?"

"We've managed to contact Ben," said Leia, her voice flat. "Or rather, he contacted us."

"He sent a Hologram?" Luke asked.

Leia nodded. "I haven't listened to it yet. I was just looking for you and Jyn."

"I don't know if—" Luke began.

"We'll go now," Jyn cut in. "It's been long enough."

"I want to come with you!" Rey yelled. "I want to see Ben!"

"Sweetheart, you know what a Hologram means," said Jyn gently. "It's like the messages Daddy used to send us from the Tem—when he was working. Ben isn't really here on Takondana."

"I don't care!"

"Chewie can watch her while we listen to it and depending on what he says, decide what to do," said Leia in that same flat voice. With that, she walked past them and led the way down the hall.

Jyn was surprised to find Maz standing with Han and Chewbacca outside yet another door that was similar to the one that led to Jyn's room. After leaving a protesting Rey with Chewie, the five of them entered the room.

It was empty expect for a small table on which sat a hologram pad. Max pressed a button and a long blue light appeared, flickered for a moment before forming into the life size image of Ben Solo. He stared out at the group, his mouth set into a hard line. He wore a black cloak with the hood pulled over his head.

"This wild chase has gone on long enough," he began. "Do not continue to look for me. I have found my true calling as the leader of the Knights of Ren. Supreme Leader Snoke has many plans for me, now that I have embraced the Dark Side of the Force. He will help me become stronger than I ever could. And," Here, he turned to face Luke, "he won't lie to me about my family history."

"I never—!" Luke started but Ben kept talking.

"Where Darth Vader was weak and easily persuaded, I will be strong and firm in my beliefs. I will not be tempted by the Light Side. However, I do regret the attack on you, Jyn," and he turned to look at her and Jyn resisted the urge to step away from him. "I had no idea that the some of my Knights had gotten a hold of that poison, much less that they would use it on you. I'm glad to see that you've recovered."

"Of course you are," Jyn said through gritted teeth.

"So I said," Ben continued, "do not continue to search for me because I do not want to be found. I have a new teacher and a new life. Good-bye."

The hologram flickered once and then faded. When it was gone, no one spoke for several long minutes. Then, Leia sank to the floor and put her head in her hands.

"It's my fault," said Luke. "I should've been more open with him. I should've told him whatever he wanted to know about his family history, especially about his grandfather."

"It is no one's fault," said Maz. "Not yours, Luke or yours." She said, looking at Leia who didn't move. "If it is anyone's fault it is Snoke's. He manipulated Ben to see what he wanted him to see about the Skywalker family."

"But, I was so careful," Leia said in a high voice as though she were about to cry. "I sent him to Luke to help him. I—" Her voice cracked as she began to cry and Han knelt beside her, wrapping his arms around her.

"It's all my fault," Luke murmured. At this, Jyn moved toward him and laid a hand on his shoulder. He gave no reaction and instead turned away from her to face Maz. Confused, Jyn removed her hand from his shoulder. She glanced back to see that Han was still holding onto a sobbing Leia and suddenly felt that she couldn't remain in the room a moment longer. Without another word, she opened the door and hurried out. She was several feet down the hall when she heard footsteps behind her.

"Mommy, wait!"

Turning, Jyn saw Rey running after her, eyes wide with fear.

"Mommy, what's wrong? Where are you going? Where's Daddy?" She cried.

"He's with Aunt Leia, Uncle Han and Aunt Maz, sweetheart," Jyn said. She picked Rey up and ignored the slight stab of pain in her chest as Rey bumped her wound.

"What did Ben say?" Rey asked.

Jyn hesitated then said, "He said that he's not coming back."

"No!"

"I know, sweetheart, but he's part of the group that attacked us on Jakku—"

"No!" Rey wailed. "I want him to come back! I don't want him to be on the bad side!" Then, she buried her face in Jyn's shoulder and began to cry. Jyn tightened her hold on her and began patting her back, trying to comfort her. But Rey's cries continued and Jyn considered returning to her room to try and explain everything to Rey there when for the second time she heard footsteps approaching and looking up, she saw Luke ambling toward them. When he reached them, he held her gaze for a moment before he wrapped his arms around her and Rey and rested his head on top of Jyn's. How long they stayed that way, Jyn didn't know and she didn't care.

* * *

Over the next few days, Jyn was more than eager to escape the confines of her room and explore Takodana. She began by willing herself to wake at a decent home and establish some sense of a routine. This started by being more proactive in taking care of Rey. Thankfully, her lethargy was abating so she was able to commit herself even more to this plan. She felt even better when Maz told her that her wound had fully healed.

One morning, after she had finished helping Rey get dressed, she asked, "Can we go outside?"

Jyn paused in tying Rey's hair back into a bun. "I don't see why not."

"Good."

A few minutes later, standing outside of the castle, Jyn took a deep breath of the cool air, filling her lungs to capacity before she hurried after Rey. She didn't want to think of how long it had been since she had been out in such a temperate climate. As she took Rey's hand and they began to walk through the forest surrounding the castle, she felt all of her stress and worries leave her mind. Instead, memories of her last visit to Takodana came to her and for the first time, in a long time, she felt safe.

Although she hoped that it was not because of her own wonderful . memories of the last time she had been on Takodana that made her feel so safe. After all, the planet was frequented by many different kinds of humans and aliens, any of whom could have contacts to the First Order. Still, Jyn did her best to keep those thoughts at bay as she hiked through the forest with Rey.

It was nearing dinnertime when they began making their way back. As soon as she saw the castle through the thinning trees, Rey darted forward, yelling in delight. Jyn opened her mouth to call out to her when she saw that Luke and Maz stood at the entrance, waiting for them.

As Rey neared him, Luke crouched to the ground and stretched out his hands to her. But before Rey could fling herself into his arms, her feet left the ground and she rose into the air. Jyn smiled as Rey squealed in delight as she hovered three feet off of the ground. Slowly, Jyn moved from her position near the trees as quietly as she could, not wanting to interrupt. She was halfway to them when she saw Luke lower his outstretched hands and Rey descended, landing lightly on her feet.

"Mommy, did you see me? Did you see me?" Rey yelled, bounding over to her mother.

"Yes, sweetheart, I saw you," said Jyn. "And what do you say to your father?"

"Thank you for making me fly, Daddy," Rey said, turning to face Luke.

"You're very welcome," said Luke. He paused and then added, "Now, Rey, how would you like to spend the night with Uncle Han and Aunt Leia?"

"Where will you and Mommy be?"

"We'll just be on a different part of Takodana."

"But why can't I come with you?" Rey asked, sounding worried.

"Because your parents have grownup things to talk about," Maz interjected. "Now, let's go inside and get you something to eat after your long hike," said Maz, holding out her hand. "Besides, I have more stories I can tell you about your uncle Han."

"Really?" Rey took Maz's hand and together they walked back towards the entrance.

It wasn't until the pair had gone back inside the castle that he stepped forward.

"Luke, what's going on?" Jyn asked.

He smiled. "Maz has a surprise for us." Then, he took her hand and led her back into the forest.

It was only when they had been walking for nearly fifteen minutes that Jyn started to ask where they were going. Luke merely smiled at her questions but said nothing. Eventually, Jyn stopped asking and let him continue to lead her through the forest. When they began climbing a hill and the path was covered with rocks, however, Jyn asked, "Luke, if you don't tell me where we're going, I'm turning around and going back!"

"Then, it's a good thing we're almost there," he answered.

A few minutes later, they reached the crest of the hill and Jyn saw a small log cabin. It wasn't new by any means, the logs had darkened with age and exposure to the elements but Jyn recognized it instantly.

It was where she had spent her honeymoon.

She ran forward and didn't stop until she reached the door, yanked it open and stepped inside.

Jyn pressed her lips together, willing herself not to cry as memories washed over her. The cabin appeared as though nothing had been touched since the last time she had been there, save for the small bouquet of flowers on the small kitchen table. There was a note propped against the vase. Jyn picked it up and read:

 _I hope you enjoy my little project. —Maz_

Setting the note back down, her eye caught the view of the forest in the large picture window and the small balcony where she and Luke had had breakfast almost every morning. Even the mismatched furniture in the living room and small wood burning stove were the same. Glancing to her left, Jyn saw the steep staircase that she knew led to the bedroom and her heart fluttered in her chest.

The sound of the door closing made her jump and she turned to see Luke kicking off his boots. As soon as he hung up his cloak, she moved toward him and before he could say anything, she cupped his face in her hands and kissed him. He responded immediately, arms encircling her waist as he drew her closer. His lips pressed firmly against hers as Jyn's fingers knotted in his hair. When his hands grabbed hers and his lips pulled away.

"What—what's wrong?" She gasped.

"Jyn, we need to talk."

She raised her eyebrows at his seriousness in his voice. "About what?"

"About what to do next." He took her hand and walked into the front room, pulling her along with him.

Once they were both seated on the couch, he continued, "Do you remember all the research I did about planets that were important to the Jedi?"

"Of course."

"I've discovered a planet called Ahch-To."

"I've never heard of it."

"Not many people have. It's very remote and not exactly inhabitable but according to my research, it was very important to the Jedi early in their history. There's even some temple ruins there and maybe other artifacts too." He paused and squeezed her hand. "Jyn, I want us to go there. All three of us. We can't keep running and in light of Ben's message, he's made his position very clear. His trust in Snoke makes things even more serious."

"So, we're just going to run away and hide? Until when?" Jyn snapped. "You're the Jedi Grandmaster! You don't run away!"

"But I failed him, Jyn," said Luke sadly. "I failed to keep him from the dark side. I failed him and I failed my students by letting them get killed for no reason. You and Rey are all I have now."

"What about Han and Leia?"

"They trusted me to teach their son and I couldn't even teach him to resist the Dark Side."

Jyn turned away from him, then. Not only so that she didn't have to look at the sadness in his eyes but so that he wouldn't see her own tears. After all they had been through, how could they just run from everything? Everything they had ever known.

"Jyn?"

"You're not a failure!" She yelled, surprising herself at the volume of her voice. She turned back to face him, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. "You destroyed the Death Star! You became a Jedi Knight! You're loyal and good and kind and you love me, despite all of my own faults! You rebuilt the Order almost entirely by yourself. You—!"

"And it's because I love you that I want us to go to Ahch-To," Luke cut in. He placed his hands on her head and brushed her tears away with his thumbs. Then, he leaned forward and kissed her. Jyn wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer as he deepened the kiss.

"Luke," Jyn gasped, when he began kissing his way down her neck.

"Hmm?"

"This doesn't mean we're finished talking about Ahch-To."

"Of course, Rouge One."

"And, Luke?"

"What?"

"Do you mind if we continue upstairs?"

In reply, he kissed her once on the hollow at the base of her throat and then he pushed himself up and got to his feet. Before Jyn could protest, he picked her and proceeded to carry her up the stairs.

 **Author's Note: This should go without saying but…please NO spoilers for Rogue One! The lovely fictionfrek101 has filled me in on some details but otherwise, I want to be surprised when I see it.**

 **Just one more chapter to go after this. Thank you for reading and again, I'm so sorry for the delay. Please review!**


	9. The Departure

**Author's Note: HELLO! A thousand apologies for not updating this story. Between getting sick at the beginning of last year to losing my motivation to write much of anything and starting a new job, I've only now gotten back to this story. I'm sure many of you thought I had abandoned it, but I'm back now! So, enjoy and please review!**

Chapter 9

Departure

Jyn was having a wonderful dream. She was lying on a comfortable bed, her back pressed against Luke's chest with one of his arms wrapped snugly around her. She had never felt more safe or secure as she did then. She never wanted to wake up.

"Good morning," Luke whispered.

Jyn opened her eyes and looked around. She was lying in bed in a lofted bedroom. Bright sunlight streamed in through the windows. She turned to see Luke lying on his side next to her, propped up on one elbow.

"Morning?" she asked, confused. "But wasn't it late afternoon when we got here?"

"Yes, it was," said Luke with a smirk. "But we were…rather busy for awhile once we got here. Plus, I don't think either of us have gotten a good night's sleep in a long time so we slept through the rest of the day and night." He paused and then added, "Not unlike the last time we were here."

"I don't remember getting a lot of sleep then, either," said Jyn nonchalantly.

Luke's smile widened and he said, "Yes, we were very infatuated with each other, weren't we?"

"Well, I was amazed that the Force could be used in so many…creative ways," said Jyn, leaning forward.

"You know, so was I," Luke murmured before their lips met in a long kiss.

When they broke apart, Luke said, "Why don't you stay here and I'll go see what I can scrounge up for breakfast?"

"Just try not to burn anything this time," said Jyn.

"You're never going to let me forget that, are you?"

"Nope."

"I thought so," Luke answered. Then, he got out of the bed and began pulling on his clothes. Jyn soon followed and made her way to the fresher. As she showered, memories of the previous night came back to her and she smiled.

Fifteen minutes later, she finished her shower, dressed and decided to try and make the bed when she heard Luke yell, "Jyn! Come down here! Quick!"

Dropping the sheets she had gathered, Jyn grabbed her blaster and nearly fell down the stairs in her haste. When she reached the bottom, she aimed her blaster in front of her and turned toward the kitchen…

…to find Luke standing in front an opened cabinet filled with nothing but cans of cocoa.

Jyn lowered her blaster. "That's what you were yelling about?"

Luke turned his head to look at her, beaming with delight. "Isn't it _amazing_?!"

"Luke, I thought someone had found us!"

He turned back to the cabinet and began taking out several cans. "If that happened I would've run upstairs."

Jyn sighed and seated herself at the counter as Luke continued to rummage in the cabinet. Eventually, she said, "I hope hot cocoa isn't the only thing we're having for breakfast."

"Oh, no, I made these, too." Using the Force, he levitated two plates onto the counter. When one plate settled in front of her, Jyn saw a vegetable omelet and two pieces of toast. Not only did it look delicious, but it was also the first food that hadn't been dried, frozen or come in a bar that Jyn had seen in weeks.

She picked up a piece of toast, took a large bite and watched as Luke made the hot cocoa.

"Do you want mallow paste on yours?" he asked.

"You know the answer to that."

"I know. I just like the look on your face when you eat it," said Luke. He set a steaming mug next to her plate and another next to his own that was covered with a thick layer of mallow paste on top.

Shaking her head, Jyn picked up her mug and took a tentative sip. The cocoa was thick and rich, making her feel almost dizzy. She couldn't remember the last time she had had it. _Probably the last time we were here_ , she realized. At this, she set the mug down and looked around their cabin. The past twenty-four hours with Luke had felt like a dream. A wonderful dream where they could just be themselves and enjoy each other's company. Much like they had been on their honeymoon. Not Luke Skywalker the Jedi Knight and Jyn Erso, the leader of the team to steal the Death Star plans, but Luke and Jyn. Two newly married people who loved each other and wanted nothing more than to enjoy each other's company.

But their honeymoon was in the past now. Now, in the present, they were the parents of a beautiful little girl. A little girl who needed them to protect her and care for her.

"Jyn?" Luke's voice broke into her thoughts and she jumped as she looked at him. "Are you all right?"

"I was just thinking about…all of this," She waved a hand to indicate the cabin. "It's been wonderful to have this time with you especially after everything that's happened but…we'll have to leave eventually."

"Yes," said Luke seriously. "And I think now is the best time to tell you about Ahch-To."

"It was an important place to the Jedi, right?"

"Yes, it's very remote since it's located in the Unknown Regions. It's made up of mostly islands and archipelagos."

"And we'll be safe there?"

Luke reached across the counter and laid a hand over one of hers. "Yes."

Jyn said nothing as she busied herself with cutting her omelet. The silence stretched between them as Luke removed his hand from hers and began to eat his own breakfast. Finally, he asked in a quiet voice. "Are you angry with me?"

"No," said Jyn, raising her head to look at him. "I'd rather live on some far off planet with you than without you but there's so many things to think about. What about food? What if Rey gets sick? What's going to happen if one of us falls off of a cliff or something? What happens when Rey gets older and wants to leave? And what about Han and Leia?"

"Han and Leia will understand," he answered, "and the less they know about where we are, the better. As for food, the planet is large enough that there will be plenty of food for three of us."

"I'll believe it when I see it," Jyn muttered.

Again, she felt Luke's hand grasp one of hers. "Jyn, you trust me, don't you?"

She met his gaze, then and stared into his clear, blue eyes. "Yes," she said. "I trust you. I trust that you'll do whatever it takes to keep us all safe. But that doesn't mean I'm not allowed to be skeptical."

Luke smiled and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "I understand. Now we should probably eat before the food gets cold."

* * *

After they finished eating, they cleaned the kitchen and packed their few belongings (Luke made sure to pack as many cans of cocoa as he could into his own bag) before they left the cabin. Standing on the threshold with Luke, Jyn looked around one last time knowing that she would probably never see the place again. Finally, she turned and stepped aside so Luke could lock the door behind them.

Neither of them spoke as they walked back towards Maz's castle. It was only when the trees began to thin and the sun was hidden behind the tall, dark structure that the silence was broken.

"Mommy! Daddy!"

Jyn's heart swelled as she saw Rey barreling towards them. Her face was alight with pure happiness and joy with her arms stretched out to meet them. Immediately, Jyn tossed the bag she carried to the side as she knelt on the ground. Rey ran straight into her arms and nearly knocked her onto her back.

"You're back!" Rey cried as she hugged her mother.

"Of course, we're back. We couldn't leave you forever," said Jyn as she steadied herself. "Did you have fun with everyone?"

"Uh-huh, Great Aunt Maz told me lots of stories!" said Rey.

"Nothing too scary, I hope," said Luke, smiling.

Rey shook her head vigorously and then launched herself at Luke. He caught her and hoisted her into arms.

"Can we stay here, Daddy?" Rey asked. "Great Aunt Maz's castle is so cool and Uncle Han and Aunt Leia are here!"

The happy smile on Luke's face faded and he glanced at Jyn before he replied, sadly. "No, sweetheart. We can't stay here."

"Why not?"

"Because we're going to another planet. A planet that was very important to the Jedi Order and we'll be safe there," Luke explained.

"Are Uncle Han and Aunt Leia coming with us?"

"No, Rey, they're aren't coming with us," Jyn spoke up as Luke hesitated. "They—" She was interrupted as Rey burst into tears.

"But—But we c-can't go! W-We hav—have to stay!" Rey cried.

"Rey, I know this is hard to understand, but we'll be safe where we're going," Jyn said, lying a hand on Rey's back. "No more running and no more sleeping in strange places."

"And I'll be with you and Mommy, Rey," Luke added. "I won't leave you anymore."

But Rey was inconsolable as she cried against Luke's shoulder. Her cries continued as they walked the rest of the way to Maz's castle where Leia, Han and Maz herself were waiting for them outside.

"Hey, c'mere, kiddo," said Han in a gentle voice as he took Rey into his arms. "What's the matter? Aren't you happy to see your mom and dad?"

"I don't want to leave you, Uncle Han!" Rey wailed in response.

"Let me talk to her," Maz ordered.

Han raised his eyebrows but said nothing as he placed Rey on the ground. Her cries had lessened but tears still ran down her cheeks. Maz walked up to Rey and laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Now, you listen to your Great Aunt Maz, Rey Skywalker," she ordered. "I don't need to tell you that your parents are two of the bravest people I know and they love you more than anything else in the galaxy. The same goes for your aunt and uncle. Your family would do anything to keep you safe and right now, there are very bad people who would kill your family if it meant getting their hands on you."

"Maz, there's no need to scare—" Luke began.

"She must understand the consequences," Maz snapped.

"But why do they want me?" Rey asked. "I'm not a Jedi. Daddy says I'm not old enough to have a lightsaber."

Here, Maz took both of Rey's hands in hers. "Because they know that your father will train you in the Jedi ways and they believe that through you and your father that the Jedi Order will rise again…and they want nothing more than to destroy the Jedi forever."

Rey pressed her lips together and her face began to redden as she struggled not to cry. Almost at the same moment, Jyn and Leia knelt beside her.

"Oh, Rey, don't cry," Leia soothed. "Hopefully, it will only be for a little while and then you can come back. But please know that your Uncle Han and I love you so much."

"But—But, why c-can't you come with us?" Rey asked, her voice wavering.

"Because someone's gotta keep the Resistance in line to fight the First Order," Han said. "And we both know the best person for the job is your aunt, right, kiddo?"

Rey's lips curved up in a small smile and she nodded. "Yes, Aunt Leia is the best general in the whole galaxy!"

"Come," Maz announced. "I have a ship prepared for you with supplies." She jabbed a finger at Luke and Jyn. "And don't tell me you don't want it or need it. It's the least I could do since you wouldn't tell me where you're going." With that, Maz turned and lead the way towards her castle. Jyn took one of Rey's hands and Luke took the other before they followed their friend.

* * *

"Where did it come from?" Jyn asked.

Near the entrance of the castle were Luke's X-Wing and another ship Jyn had never seen before. It was navy blue and twice the size of the X-Wing and to Jyn, it looked brand new.

"That is a personal ship of mine," said Maz. "I mostly use it to travel to other planets. Not a lot of firepower on her but it gets me where I need to go. I have supplies packed on board for every type of environment and enough dehydrated food for three of you to last for a year. Just type in the coordinates it will take where you want to go. When you arrive, punch in the coordinates of Takodana and it will return here."

"Maz, how can we possibly thank you for this?" Jyn asked as she stared at the ship.

"You don't," Maz insisted. "Consider it a donation to the new Jedi Order." She paused and then added, "Actually, I can think of one way you can thank me."

"Name it," said Luke, smiling.

"Keep yourselves safe until the First Order is destroyed."

Luke squeezed Jyn's hand and met her eye. "We will."

* * *

Jyn rechecked the seat belt around Rey's waist and tightened the straps against her shoulders. They were aboard Maz's ship while Luke would fly beside them in his X-Wing.

"I wish I could go with Daddy," said Rey for the umpteenth time. "Isn't that why you put the backwards seat in it?"

"Yes, but I would prefer to have you here with me," said Jyn. "Is anything too tight?"

"No, Mommy."

"Okay." Jyn kissed her cheek and turned to go toward the cockpit when she saw Leia standing at the top of the ramp.

"Leia, what're you—?" But Leia stepped forward and hugged her and Jyn returned the hug.

"I know we already said our goodbyes," said Leia, "but I just wanted to say that you are the best sister-in-law I could've ever asked for and I know you'll take care of my brother."

"Luke can take care of himself," said Jyn.

Leia smiled. "Most of the time." She gave Jyn another quick hug and then said, "May the Force be with you."

"And with you," Jyn replied. She felt tears prick at her eyes as she realized then that it might be years before she saw Leia again. "I never thought I'd have a sister-in-law and you've been wonderful. Take care of Han, too."

"Oh, I will," said Leia with a wry smile.

After Leia left, Jyn blinked furiously to try and stop her tears. But she felt a few fall as she watched Luke and Leia embrace through the ships's window. Then, Luke climbed into his X-Wing and Jyn seated herself in the captain's chair and punched in the coordinates that Luke had given her.

The engine whirled to life and Jyn heard the roar of the thrusters. With a glance back at Rey to confirm that she was still safely buckled in, Jyn eased the ship upward as she kept an eye on the white and orange X-Wing that remained level with them. When they had cleared the castle, the X-Wing took off into Takodana's atmosphere and Jyn followed close behind.

 **Author's Note: I can assure that the next chapter will not take over a year to update! Thank you for reading and again, I'm so sorry it took so long to update. Please review.**


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